Health Options Digest
April 3, 2005
Coalition for Health Options In Central Eugene-Springfield (CHOICES)
In This Issue
From the Editor
Week In Review
Are good will and cooperation sprouting all over our community? In a letter to The Register-Guard, Susan Connolly thanks an eclectic mix of individuals and groups for various efforts, including the work of CHOICES and others on PeaceHealth issues.
After a second forum, public support for a new McKenzie-Willamette hospital on the EWEB site remains mixed.
Although the LTD strike has ended, it appears that the underlying tensions between labor and management remain. If the two groups can't kiss an make up, maybe something akin to marital counseling is in order.
Meanwhile in Salem, the senate is considering a compromise bill that would make some members of the LTD board elected and the others appointed by the governor. Currently, all members are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the senate.
Last week, LTD opted to not cut any routes.
Eugene City Manager Dennis Taylor appointed Planning Manager Susan Muir as acting Planning and Development Director after Tom Coyle leaves that position later this month. Coyle earned high marks from the business community for making the department more customer friendly but low marks from progressives for downplaying the city's and state's planning goals. We hear that Coyle was looking for a new job for a year, which would mean he could have started looking even before the mayoral primary election last May.
KOPT, John Musumeci's liberal-leaning radio station that began offering Air America programming on 1450 AM, has added shows with local hosts. But we heard an unconfirmed rumor that some conservatives are upset with plans to pull conservative talk show host Michael Medved from Eugene. If anyone knows more, please tell.
Measure 37 continues to take Oregon back to the "good ol' days" of outlaws when anyone could do anything they wanted unless a shotgun said otherwise. But lawyers for a group of farmers, farm bureaus and land-use watchdog organization 1000 Friends of Oregon filed a brief last Thursday arguing that Measure 37 is actually itself unlawful. (See http://www.friends.org/issues/M37litigation.html) In any case, the lawmakers in Salem are trying to "fix" Measure 37 to do what they think voters intended the measure should do. But it is proving difficult to know just what voters intended with this poorly written and ill-conceived measure. We hope the lawyers can sort this mess out.
Some say that our good friend Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has a way with women, and that Harvard President Larry Summers doesn't. As a result, some are urging Schwarzenegger to run for president... of Harvard. This news, of course, has nothing to do with anything.
Lastly, we are shocked -- shocked! -- that some people might stoop to fabricating news. Indeed, in this very issue of "Health Options Digest" you will find some news stories that are false. In the name of fairness and balance, we have tried to mark these stories clearly.
Looking Ahead
We aren't aware of much scheduled this week locally, but things are happening in the state legislature in Salem.
On Wednesday, the Senate Environment and Land Use Committee, chaired by Sen. Charlie Ringo (D-Beaverton), will hold a public hearing on Senate Bill 1037, which aims to amend and replace Measure 37. Passed by voters last fall, Measure 37 requires government to pay property owners or waive restrictions when a land use regulation reduces the value of property -- but only for owners who acquired the property before the regulation was enacted. Oregon will look very different in coming years depending on how we as a state choose to respond to Measure 37. In its current form, SB 1037 would actually go beyond Measure 37 and allow property owners to violate some land use laws that were in place in the time they acquired their property! For more information, visit: http://www.friends.org/issues/M37-legislative-action.html
Also on Wednesday (and at the same time), the Senate Transportation Committee will hear testimony about a bill to make most highways in Oregon freight routes that give priority to trucks.
Rob Zako, Editor
343-5201
rzako@efn.org
Calendar
Wednesday, April 6 -- Senate Environment and Land Use Committee
3:00 pm, Hearing Room B, Capitol, Salem
The Senate Environment and Land Use Committee is holding a public hearing on SB 1037, the just-introduced bill to amend and replace Measure 37 that voters pass last fall.
Committee Members: Charlie Ringo, Chair; Jason Atkinson, Vice-Chair; Roger Beyer, Ginny Burdick, Frank Shields.
Committee Staff: Matt Shields; Chris Crean; Katie Lowry.
Committee Office: Capitol Room 401C, (503) 986-1640.
Text of Bill: http://www.leg.state.or.us/05reg/measpdf/sb1000.dir/sb1037.intro.pdf
More info: http://www.leg.state.or.us
Wednesday, April 6 -- Senate Transportation Committee
3:10 pm, Hearing Room C, Capitol, Salem
Committee Members: Joanne Verger, Chair; Doug Whitsett, Vice-Chair; Rick Metsger; Floyd Prozanski; Bruce Starr.
Committee Staff: Judith Callens; James Goulding.
Committee Office: Capitol Room 332, (503) 986-1688.
Text of Bill: http://www.leg.state.or.us/05reg/measpdf/sb0800.dir/sb0894.intro.pdf
More info: http://www.leg.state.or.us
Friday, April 8 -- HOPES Conference Design Charrette
| Eugene Weekly | March 24, 2005 |
A public review of the designs [for the Union Pacific railyard] from the HOPES conference charrette will take place from 3 to 5 pm on Friday, April 8, at 206 Lawrence Hall at UO.
For more information, contact Lilah Glick at lglick@uoregon.edu
Opportunities
Applicants needed for county committees
| The Register-Guard | March 18, 2005 |
The Lane County Board of Commissioners is seeking applications from residents interested in serving on the Lane County Mental Health Advisory Committee.
Committee responsibility includes serving on subcommittees and requires two to four daytime meetings per month. The board advises on matters relating to mental health, developmental disabilities, and alcohol and drug abuse in Lane County by reviewing major policies of the community mental health program.
The deadline to apply is April 22. To request an application, call 682-4203. For more information, call Rob Rockstroh at 682-4035.
The county also seeks applications from residents interested in serving on the Lane County Planning Commission. The commission makes recommendations to the commissioners regarding comprehensive plan issues and amendments. Applicants must be residents of Lane County west of the east boundary of the Mapleton School District. To request an application by mail, please enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope and mark your request to the attention of Ethel at the address listed below. The deadline to apply is April 15. For information, call 682-4203.
Applications for both groups are available in the Board of Commissioners' Office located on the Plaza Level of the Public Service Building, 125 E. Eighth Avenue in Eugene.
PeaceHealth
Letter -- Citizens have made a difference
By Susan M. Connolly, Eugene
The Register-Guard | March 28, 2005 |
I've been experiencing an attitude of gratitude lately and realized I needed to commend some mighty caring, active and involved citizens.
We all owe a huge debt to Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy, Art Johnson and Jack Roberts, as well as their entire team, for negotiating a compromise that ended the Lane Transit District strike and sent those buses back on the road. Their skill and hard work paid off for all of us.
Secondly, a huge round of applause to the anonymous citizens who created the many colorful signs reminding us to love our spouses, hug our children and walk humbly (among other niceties) and placed them along our roadsides. Every time I spot one of the signs, it brightens my day.
Finally, my deep appreciation goes out to John and Robin Jaqua and the CHOICES coalition of citizens -- including 1000 Friends of Oregon and Friends of Eugene -- who spent considerable time and resources to file suit against PeaceHealth and thus convince the not-for-profit, religious, community hospital to do right by our citizens. The agreed-upon setbacks from the Willamette River, the riparian protections and the decreased building heights will both protect the river and allow present and future citizens to enjoy the natural beauty of the river area with less visual intrusion. In addition, Sacred Heart will remain a presence at its Hilyard site and continue to serve our com- munity.
Letter -- Health care costs skyrocketing
By Bill Beals, Reedsport
The Register-Guard | March 31, 2005 |
Dr. John Haughom's guest viewpoint on the RiverBend hospital is indeed uplifting and optimistic (Register-Guard. March 27). His viewpoint also escapes reality.
The five advances he lists are incomplete. After each one he should add -- "if the insurance company allows it and you can afford it." Possibly, the hospital and physicians would do their customers a greater service if they would make the present advances in medical care affordable.
If we cannot afford what we have, why add more things we cannot afford?
A recent article derided the Canadian health care system because of the long waits necessary for a patient to get attention.
I wonder which is worse: waiting for medical procedures that you can afford, as in Canada, or doing without because one can't afford them at all, as in the United States?
I wish the headline had read "RiverBend hospital part of a new era of affordable health care."
Slant -- Hospital Swap
| Eugene Weekly | March 31, 2005 |
We hear board members at PeaceHealth and McKenzie-Willamette have agreed to participate in a new reality TV show called "Hospital Swap." The two boards and their administrators will change places for three months, but the staff and department heads will remain the same. "The timing makes this our most unpredictable reality show ever," says one NBC official who asked not to be identified. Donald Trump will be commenting on each episode and will get to fire at least one board member or administrator who's not making sound decisions regarding patient care and long-term cost savings.
[SLANT this week includes silly made-up stuff compiled by the EW staff. Heard any good rumors lately? Contact Ted Taylor at 484-0519, editor@eugeneweekly]
McKenzie-Willamette/Triad
Not all residents are sold on EWEB site for hospital
By Matt Cooper
The Register-Guard | March 30, 2005 |
The Eugene Water & Electric Board headquarters in downtown Eugene is McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center's top choice for relocation, but some residents let hospital officials know Tuesday night they don't necessarily share that view. (more...)
Letter -- Scary Site
By David Rodriguez, Springfield
Eugene Weekly | March 31, 2005 |
A few reasons why EWEB is not a good site for a hospital:
Hospitals do not belong on rivers. What if we had a catastrophic flood that inundated both facilities? In 1964, there was 4 feet of water over the bank at the EWEB Steam Plant.
During that year, five out of the six dams were already constructed with just over 900,000 acre feet of storage capacity. Fall Creek was added in 1966, which only added 125,000 acre feet. Had Fall Creek already been operational, USACE estimates that would have lowered the river at Eugene by only .8 foot.
Would you want to be under the knife when a train came by and blew its whistle or vibrated the building?
It is also on the outside bend of the river, and has other site constraints that make one of the most functionally driven facilities a nightmare to design.
Health Care
Hospital Comparisons
EUGENE -- It could be one of the most important decisions you make: which hospital to choose for certain kinds of medical care. A new website provides comparisons for consumers. (more...)
Editorial -- Tackling a tough one: Senators make progress on malpractice rates
| The Register-Guard | March 31, 2005 |
Today's pop quiz: What happens when you put four doctors and four lawyers in a room and tell them to work on the problem of ballooning medical malpractice insurance premiums in Oregon?
A. Fisticuffs
B. Gridlock
C. Compromise
If you picked "compromise," it's because you studied for today's quiz by reading news reports over the weekend. Either that or you're just lucky, because it sure isn't the outcome reached in previous efforts to tackle this contentious issue. (more...)
Members-only medical care
By Jonathan Brinckman
The Oregonian | March 28, 2005 |
Fed up with late payments, denials of coverage and mind-bending bureaucracies, Dr. Robert Ironside finally threw in the towel. After 27 years in medicine, he decided that accepting insurance was no longer worth the trouble.
The Portland internist and another doctor started a new practice in November that's based instead on monthly fees. Patients pay $1,100 a month upfront, for which they receive unlimited doctor's visits, house calls and around-the-clock medical advice.
The jury's still out on whether it will be financially feasible, even though surgery and specialized medical care cost extra. (more...)
Uncle Sam is no doctor
Instead of tracking outcomes, system prescribes medical 'recipes.'
By Regina E. Herzlinger
USA Today | March 29, 2005 |
Americans want to know how good their doctors and hospitals are. But the government does not reward good performance -- judged by whether patients get better. It rewards only good conformance -- for medical providers who follow its recipes. (more...)
Hospitals rush in as Washington grows
Legacy's new facility is set to open in August, and more are planned for parts of the state that are growing
By Allan Brettman
The Oregonian | March 29, 2005 |
VANCOUVER, Wa. -- Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital, scheduled to open to patients in August, may be setting a mini-trend as additional hospitals are planned or contemplated in Washington state.
"It's almost like a rush of hospitals," said Byron Plan of the Washington Department of Health. "I think it's really because of population growth and need for services."
Many of the proposed hospitals share at least one characteristic with the one under construction by Portland-based Legacy: They would serve a fast-growing population with clogged roadways, which complicate travel to existing hospitals. Legacy Salmon Creek, when it opens near Interstates 5 and 205, will add 153 beds to serve primarily the areas along those interstate corridors north of Vancouver. For many years, Southwest Washington Medical Center, which is undergoing an expansion in east Vancouver, was the only hospital in Clark County. (more...)
A tribute to physicians on National Doctors' Day
By Lotty Poe Duey
The Springfield News | March 30, 2005 |
In 1935 the Southern Medical Association Auxiliary initiated the celebration of Doctors' Day, an observance that culminated in the 1990 proclamation by President George H.W. Bush of March 30 as National Doctors' Day.
Many communities initiate community projects to promote the observance. Such projects pay tribute to physicians, remind the public of the doctors' dedication to the health and welfare of patients, and increase awareness of the positive role physicians play in their local communities. (more...)
Nearby Developments
Editorial -- Vote to keep tax only if city will put limits on it
| The Springfield News | April 1, 2005 |
Springfield voters were the toast of crime-battered Lane County last November when we voted to go ahead and build ourselves a jail.
But when we voted for it, most of us knew it was Step One of a two-step process. You can build a jail with a bond measure, but it would be financially reckless to try to run one that way -- like a business owner using a Visa card to cover paychecks for employees.
So it was understood -- by everyone paying attention -- that we'd have to come up with some way of paying to staff the jail. (more...)
Corkey Gourley -- Utility tax could make a big difference in Springfield
By Corkey Gourley
The Springfield News | April 1, 2005 |
In just over a month, Springfielders will be asked to vote on a proposed utility tax. This tax would extend coverage of city fees to utility companies that haven't yet been included -- mainly cable TV, cell phone companies and other communications businesses. The tax will generate approximately $650,000 per year.
The Springfield Chamber of Commerce has taken a close look at this tax through board discussion and presentations made at our legislative-issues committee meetings. We support the utility tax, provided that it's structured in such a way that it helps pay for a new jail. (more...)
Corkey Gourley -- Tax should include funds for Springfield jail
By Corkey Gourley
The Register-Guard | April 3, 2005 |
In just about a month, Springfielders will be asked to vote on a utility tax proposal. This tax would extend coverage of city fees to utility companies that haven't yet been included -- mainly cable TV, cell phone companies and other communications businesses. The tax will generate approximately $650,000 per year.
The Springfield Chamber of Commerce has taken a close look at this tax through board discussion and presentations made at meetings of our legislative issues committee. We support the utility tax, provided that it's structured in such a way that it helps pay for a new jail. (more...)
Guard to ask city to review zoning
By Diane Dietz
The Register-Guard | April 2, 2005 |
Saying there is scant demand for the industrial-zoned land around its newspaper headquarters on Chad Drive in Eugene, Guard Publishing Co. is proposing the city make it easier to build office and commercial development there. (more...)
Willamette Planning?
By Alan Pittman
Eugene Weekly | March 31, 2005 |
The Willamette and 29th area in south Eugene is booming with construction. Cascade Manor cut down tall trees for a massive expansion along 29th and Rite Aid, PC Market of Choice and other parts of Willamette Plaza have begun or are scheduled for extensive reconstruction. But despite the big changes, there's no new city planning going on for the area.
"There is currently no active 'planning' occurring by the Planning Division," Eugene Planning & Development Department Director Tom Coyle wrote the City Council March 22 in response to a query. Under TransPlan, the south Willamette area was supposed to be an example of pedestrian and transit friendly, denser nodal development. But powerful property owners opposed any restrictions on how they could develop the area and the City Council and Planning Department quickly backed away from rules requiring less car-oriented and more pedestrian-friendly development in the area.
City planners say the area needs a comprehensive planning effort to fix traffic congestion in the area and make it a pedestrian friendly, mixed-use node able to accommodate its growing density. But so far the city hasn't prioritized money for the estimated $400,000 planning project.
Richard Barnhart and Lisa Arkin -- With power plants, residents can't be ignored
By Richard Barnhart and Lisa Arkin
The Register-Guard | March 31, 2005 |
In response to the energy crisis of the 1990s, Congress passed the 1992 Energy Policy Act, which created a more competitive electricity market. Various states followed the federal model by passing deregulation laws creating a more market-based energy system. Under deregulation, power plant construction was no longer limited to serving customer demand, because electricity could be sold on the wholesale market.
In 1999, the Oregon Legislature passed Senate Bill 1149, which encouraged the development of a competitive energy market while also setting aside significant resources for energy conservation. One result was an increase in applications to build power plants by independent producers. Between 1996 and 2004, 11 applications for gas-fired power plants with a total generating capacity of 5,797 megawatts were submitted to the Oregon Department of Energy, one of them being the West Cascade Energy Facility near Coburg.
Citizens are concerned that providing energy for wholesale markets while creating an air pollution problem for the local population is not fair. Understandably, residents of targeted communities such as Coburg, Turner and Klamath Falls want more public input. Under Oregon law, energy facility siting is under the sole jurisdiction of the Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council. (more...)
Slant -- Coup at Chamber of Commerce
| Eugene Weekly | March 31, 2005 |
Small business owners in Eugene are reportedly organizing a coup at the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce, saying Chamber management is out of touch with the people who generate the most stable living-wage jobs in town. "If the Chamber were really behind us," complained one anonymous small business owner, "they'd be leading the charge against the West Eugene Parkway, big box stores, sprawl and corporate welfare."
[SLANT this week includes silly made-up stuff compiled by the EW staff. Heard any good rumors lately? Contact Ted Taylor at 484-0519, editor@eugeneweekly.com]
Transportation
Letter -- Railroad concept has benefits
By Tom Bowerman, Eugene
The Register-Guard | March 30, 2005 |
I'm not convinced by Jeff Johnston's rebuttal of Whitey Lueck's sub-grading the railroad concept (Register-Guard, March 27). It would be hard to dismiss the benefits of making a seamless connection between the river and the central city, unfettered by a busy mainline railroad. I notice that Johnston doesn't challenge such benefits.
Instead, Johnston based his rebuttal on a few assumptions that may not be required -- namely, a two mile, 20-foot-deep subway. By only partially lowering the track grade and raising the adjoining land with the spoils, the track could effectively disappear in half the depth.
Human activities (pedestrians, streets, buildings) could bridge the track with far greater ease. Maybe the grade change initiates only east of the station, focusing the benefits principally through the Eugene Water & Electric Board and federal courthouse area.
Pumping during floods? No bigger deal than any basement in town. Exhaust fans, etc.? Not if portions are open to the sky. Problems with switching to side tracks? None in this part of town. Dislocation costs and disruption during construction? Maybe, but then again much of the adjoining land is available for parallel construction and realignment at this moment.
It could present a problem returning the Millrace to the river, but the railroad grade should be in the discussion for ways to realize our most wonderful city. It's a good idea, and it will never be cheaper. And fiscal costs may be recouped by improved land use and value.
Roundabout gets green light
By Amber Fossen
The Springfield News | March 30, 2005 |
The roundabout stays.
Community concern over safety issues and the size and location of a planned roundabout at the South 42nd Street and Jasper Road intersection brought the previously approved street design back under scrutiny.
After a second look, the Springfield City Council reaffirmed its previous approval of the reconstruction project, including the roundabout, and added a modification to include a mid-block crosswalk. (more...)
County talking about a new gas tax: Proposal would add 5 cents to a gallon
By Amber Fossen
The Springfield News | April 1, 2005 |
Lane County residents may soon find themselves pumping more taxes when they fuel up.
This May, county commissioners will take a look at various options for implementing a county-wide motor fuel tax to preserve a road partnership program with local cities and provide supplemental funding for regional road projects.
Following direction from the commission, county public works staff prepared three possible tax scenarios, including a 3- or 5-cent-per-gallon gasoline tax on top of existing city taxes, or a 5-cent per gallon gas tax to replace 3 cents of existing city taxes. (more...)
New gas tax will drive local road repairs in coming weeks
By Edward Russo
The Register-Guard | April 3, 2005 |
With the recent steep increases in gasoline prices, Eugene motorists may not have noticed the two-cents-a-gallon rise on Friday.
The latest change reflected the city's gas tax increase taking effect, bringing the city's total tax to a nickel per gallon.
Add the $1.45 million from the extra pair of pennies over a year's time to the $2.175 million that the three-cents-a-gallon tax generates, and the city will collect nearly $3.6 million annually from people who purchase gas in Eugene.
What will residents get in return? (more...)
New freeway lane will crowd bike path
By Diane Dietz
The Register-Guard | March 30, 2005 |
The freeway already skirts uncomfortably close to Eugene's North Bank Path -- so close that it gives the willies to a square-jawed Army staff sergeant who pounds through on training runs three days a week.
But soon, the freeway will come even closer to Eugene's beloved bikeway. (more...)
Lane Transit District
LTD to repay University for strike
Members of the ASUO will meet today to discuss how to allocate the $38,276 that Lane Transit District has offered to reimburse
By Meghann M. Cuniff, Senior News Reporter
Oregon Daily Emerald | March 28, 2005 |
The University will be reimbursed $38,276 from Lane Transit District to make up for the week-long driver strike that halted bus service across the county and the one week of free bus service that followed. The money will be deducted from the amount the University has to pay for spring term service. (more...)
Dave Barton -- LTD's leaders provoked this strike
By Dave Barton
The Register-Guard | March 30, 2005 |
Gerry Gaydos' March 24 guest viewpoint is a classic spin on the issues at the heart of Lane Transit District's recent labor dispute.
Gaydos rightly contends that with the strike ended, community members received assurance that they can "get from here to there safely, comfortably and inexpensively." Beyond that, there is precious little in his assessment that conveys reality. (more...)
LTD Election Compromise
By Alan Pittman
Eugene Weekly | March 31, 2005 |
In the face of stiff opposition from LTD and local business interest lobbyists, a bill to democratize the LTD board with direct elections appears headed for political compromise.
Eugene Sen. Floyd Prozanski said he backs the effort to democratize LTD but is crafting a "compromise" that would require election of four of the seven board members with the remaining three appointed by the governor. "This kind of goes down the middle," he said.
Prozanski said Sen. Bill Morrisette (D-Springfield) and Rep. Paul Holvey (D-Eugene), key sponsors of Senate Bill 558, have expressed support for the compromise and election opponents have said they will consider it.
In a hearing last week, LTD used its taxpayer-paid staff to attack the democratic election measure. Business interests, including the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce and Jack Roberts of the Lane Metropolitan Partnership, a taxpayer financed business recruitment group, also testified against the measure.
Business interests argue that they should control LTD because they pay the local employer payroll tax to support it. But that's not the model used by most other democratic bodies. The half of people in Eugene who rent, for example, don't directly pay property taxes to support state and local government but they still do pay the tax indirectly through higher rents, and still get to vote. Also, a big chunk of LTD's budget comes from federal taxes and not the local payroll tax.
Editorial -- LTD board made the right choice
| The Springfield News | April 1, 2005 |
The Lane Transit District Board of Directors deserves serious kudos for backing off the district's plan to drop the Fairview Drive route.
The board's decision will mean considerable extra trouble for LTD. This route is a tough one for the drivers to get done in time for the scheduled connections. And there aren't huge numbers of people waiting to jam the buses on that line, either.
But after talking to some of the seniors and disabled people the plan would leave high and dry, the board decided it was worth the extra trouble.
We wholeheartedly approve, and congratulate the board on a job well done.
Letter -- Quit squandering our tax money
By Barbara E. Sherman, Springfield
The Springfield News | April 1, 2005 |
I see LTD has squandered a tremendous amount of money on a tower for the Springfield bus station. I thought the really nice wall that was put up would take care of the specified amount of money for art.
Be as it may that it is not "costing" us anything, the statue costs nearly $100,000 that is coming from taxes. When are people paying taxes going to stand up and scream that LTD is costing us bunches of money for things that aren't working, like the Breeze buses, and say enough is enough?
Editor's Note: The editorial Ms. Sherman refers to contained an error. According to LTD, as she notes, the wall covered the federally required art budget for the bus station. The artistic tower was an added touch meant to beautify the courtyard, and was not part of the required art budget. It was, however, part of the advertised project bid.
LTD routes saved, with minor changes
EUGENE -- In the wake of the recent Lane Transit District workers strike there is good news for bus riders in Lane County.
Lane Transit District will cut none of its routes and fares will stay where they are next year. (more...)
LTD won't cut bus routes
By Amber Fossen
The Springfield News | April 1, 2005 |
For some whose lives are plagued by financial constraints and physical disabilities, public transportation is more than a want -- it's a need.
With that in mind -- heeding wishes of riders who rely on Lane Transit District routes 18 and 19 for nearly all that they do -- LTD board members voted unanimously to keep the routes in service. (more...)
Senior Passes
| The Springfield News | April 1, 2005 |
The benefits of being a senior citizen in Lane County just got a little sweeter.
Lane Transit District board members decided this week to lower the age requirement for free passes. After more than 15 years offering free passes to residents age 80 and over, LTD will begin handing them out to the 70-year-plus crowd beginning May 1. (more...)
Other News
Eugene's top planner to head up office while replacement sought
By Edward Russo
The Register-Guard | March 29, 2005 |
Susan Muir, Eugene's planning division manager, will lead the city's Planning and Development Department during the search for permanent director. (more...)
KOPT adds local talk to radio dial
By Susan Palmer
The Register-Guard | March 30, 2005 |
First-time caller, longtime listener? Time for your local talk-radio fix.
Fans of the popular format who've missed the opportunity to vent about the West Eugene Parkway, the naming of local boulevards, the spotted owl or the business climate have a new home on the radio dial.
KOPT, the liberal-leaning station that began offering Air America programming on 1450 AM, has added morning and afternoon shows with local hosts this month. The first program began airing three weeks ago from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. with hosts Liz Kelly, Denison Walton and news anchor Shelley Gaske.
This week, "The Afternoon Edition" started up from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. with Nancy Stapp, a talk-show veteran who hosted programs in California and New Mexico before moving here to take the microphone in a cramped booth at the warren of offices making up Churchill Media on Country Club Road.
The new programming is part of Churchill's effort to be responsive to area listeners, operations manager Bob Bosche said. (more...)
36 Hours: Eugene, Ore.
By Chris Dixon
The New York Times | April 1, 2005 |
In 1846, a New Yorker named Eugene Skinner settled along the Willamette River. He built a small log cabin on a low hill, made peace with the Kalapuya Indians, raised a family and started a ferry service. Today, the hill is called Skinner Butte and the town that grew up to surround it bears the settler's first name. While Mr. Skinner would look with wonder at the sprawling University of Oregon campus, the quaint but modern downtown and the many bicycles, much remains in his namesake town that he would recognize. The trout-filled Willamette and McKenzie Rivers wend their way down from the Cascades; 19th-century houses peer out from behind massive fir trees; rich farmland rolls out to the north; and on a clear day the view extends to the snow-covered Three Sisters, 10,000-foot dormant volcanoes rising about 60 miles to the east. (more...)
Editorial -- Well-spent 36 hours: The New York Times visits Eugene
| The Register-Guard | April 2, 2005 |
A New York Times travel writer passed through Eugene recently, and judging from the report in Friday's edition he seemed to like the town. Reading what a travel writer has to say about a familiar place can be like looking in a funhouse mirror -- but in this case, the descriptions, recommendations and omissions are defensible. A reader who had never been to Eugene would have a fair impression. (more...)
Destination: Eugene
EUGENE -- The City of Eugene is in the national spotlight this weekend.
A crew from the Travel Channel was at the Saturday Market this morning.
They are taping segments for an upcoming episode of their show "Destination USA." (more...)
Andy Guess -- Schwarzenegger for President... of Harvard
The Last Boy Scout
By Andy Guess
The Cornell Daily Sun | March 18, 2005 |
First it was a raving macho-man with a penchant for pinching butts. He got elected governor of California. Then it was a former World Bank chief who spent his free time crafting memos exploring the benefits of dumping our nuclear waste on third-world countries. He was anointed president of Harvard. (more...)
David Broder -- Politics as Bodybuilding
By David Broder
The Washington Post | March 27, 2005; Page B07 |
SACRAMENTO -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says he brought with him to government from the world of competitive bodybuilding a belief in what "they used to call the third eye -- when you see things as a finished product way before it happens."
In an interview with Post reporter Dan Balz and me last week, he said that when he was on stage with 10 other muscular guys, "I was never worried or never kind of rattled" because he knew the judges would pick the one "who has the mind of the winner, who [says]... I deserve to be the winner because I am the best.... It's a very calming feeling... knowing that you're on the right track and that all is just a matter of time and the effort."
The same sublime confidence that carried the Austrian immigrant to success in bodybuilding and in Hollywood action films has transferred to politics, where he ousted incumbent Gov. Gray Davis in a recall election and sailed through his first year in office on a wave of celebrity adulation. (more...)
Measure 37
David Terry -- 'Sprawl' is just economic liberty, really
By David Terry
The Oregonian | March 27, 2005 |
Efforts to curb growth and development reflect an elitist agenda, walling off areas of first-generation sprawl for those who have already bought in or inherited, while shutting out new arrivals, consisting prominently of minorities and immigrants.
In the latest paradigm shift to which the American body politic is periodically prone, progressives have become the reactionaries and conservatives have become the proactive futurists. Nowhere has this strange phenomenon been more apparent than in the land-use controversies raging throughout Oregon. (more...)
Landfill files Measure 37 claim
Lakeside Reclamation's operator alleges a 209-foot height limit on one of its piles of garbage could cost the owner $11.4 million
By Laura Oppenheimer
The Oregonian | March 29, 2005 |
SCHOLLS -- As trash collects at a contentious landfill, the fight over its ultimate size moves to another arena: Washington County's Measure 37 claims process.
Lakeside Reclamation's operator has filed a claim under Oregon's new property rights law, hoping to shake a county hearings officer's 209-foot cap on a growing mound of waste. The application says restrictions on the 43-acre landfill could cost the company, Grabhorn Inc., $11.4 million. (more...)
County to review three Measure 37 claims Wednesday
By Les Gehrett
Albany Democrat-Herald | March 29, 2005 |
The Linn County Board of Commissioners will review three Measure 37 claims Wednesday as the county tries to keep up with the time deadline to process all of the claims.
"This next couple of months are just brutal, a lot of work to get through the caseload," said Steve Michaels, director of the Linn County Planning and Building Department. "We've got to run 30 through in the next three months."
By law, governments have 180 days to process each Measure 37 claim. Linn has received 58 claims since the law went into effect last December. (more...)
Bill defends local Measure 37 claims
By Don Jepsen for the Mail Tribune
The (Medford) Mail Tribune | March 29, 2005 |
SALEM -- A Jackson County commissioner testified in support of a bill Monday that would prohibit the state from challenging Measure 37 land-use changes made at the local level.
The measure, sponsored by Rep. Sal Esquivel, R-Medford, had its first hearing before the House Land Use Committee. (more...)
Despite Measure 37 rulings, some Marion County residents remain in a land-use limbo
By Crystal Bolner
The (Salem) Statesman Journal | March 31, 2005 |
One couple gets a local decision in their favor but still need approval from the state to build on their property
Bill and Janet Long clear branches Wednesday from their property near Cordon Road NE. The couple bought the land in 1962, hoping to build on it eventually as a retirement investment.
When William and Janet Long bought a piece of land along Cordon Road NE outside of Salem in 1962, they thought of the property as an investment in their future.
The couple intended to build on the land -- which was next door to their home -- sell it and save the profits for retirement.
Forty-three years later, they still are trying to cash in on that investment. (more...)
Letter -- Legislators must repair Measure 37's ambiguities
By Jason Hartz, Eugene
Oregon Daily Emerald | April 1, 2005 |
The Oregon Legislature needs to act decisively to address the many problems with Measure 37. Measure 37 is not the solution to whatever problems Oregon's land use system might have. Measure 37 has created a mess of the state's property law system that will take too long to resolve in the courts. It is the responsibility of our legislators to preserve the land use system, and resolve the legitimate concerns of citizens.
So far this session, legislators have invoked the "will of the people" as their reason for leaving Measure 37 alone. This might be a valid argument if Measure 37's effect could be objectively understood; however, this is not the case. Among its many ambiguities, Measure 37 does not give guidance on how land should be valued, where the money for compensation should come from, or what remedies exist for neighbors harmed by a successful claim.
Legislators should provide guidance in this area by introducing legislation to clear up Measure 37's ambiguities, and remove its most problematic provisions. At the least, legislators should institute a moratorium on Measure 37 claims to allow policymakers and state agencies a chance to catch up and do a better job of implementing the law. If nothing is done, Oregon's property system will grind to a halt until the courts can create workable rules to navigate the mess that Measure 37 has made.
Oregon Attorney General Says M37 Waivers Not Transferable
By Phillip E. Grillo and Jeffrey G. Condit
Miller Nash LLP | March 2005 |
On February 24, 2005, the Oregon Attorney General's Office issued a "letter of advice" indicating that relief under Measure 37 is not transferable to new owners. While the Attorney General's letter of advice and accompanying question and answer response to state agencies is not binding on local governments or the courts, it does represent the position of the governor and the state agencies who will be administering Measure 37. In other words, unless the legislature "fixes" the transferability problem created by this opinion, current and future property owners wishing to develop farm or forest zoned property, under Measure 37, will be at risk. (more...)
Buyer Beware: Attorney General Says Measure 37 Waivers Are Not Transferable
By Phillip E. Grillo and Kelly S. Hossaini
Miller Nash LLP | March 31, 2005 |
In an eight-page letter of advice to the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD), Oregon's attorney general took the position that when a local government decides to modify, remove, or not apply (i.e., waive) a land use regulation under Measure 37, that waiver is personal to the owner making the claim and does not run with the land. To the extent that local governments and courts follow the attorney general's advice, waiver remedies under Measure 37 on farm and forest land will essentially be useless, because these waivers would not be transferable to subsequent owners of the property. This odd result sets the stage for litigation and legislation concerning the so-called transferability issue. Meanwhile, property owners with valid Measure 37 claims will be left wondering whether to file claims now or wait until the issue has been resolved. During this interim period, the attorney general's opinion will likely have a chilling effect on property transactions involving Measure 37 property, because a transfer may eliminate Measure 37 rights. If the legislature does not effectively respond to the attorney general's opinion this session, it could be several years before the transferability issue is finally resolved by the courts or in a subsequent legislative session. (more...)
Land compensation law changes proposed
By Charles Beggs
The Associated Press | April 1, 2005 |
SALEM -- A draft Senate bill to make changes in the new voter-passed property compensation law includes one to let landowners build homes they could have built when they bought their property but were later blocked by government rules.
Sen. Charlie Ringo, chairman of the Senate Environment and Land Use Committee, said he hopes the panel will begin hearings on the new measure Wednesday.
The draft bill combines features of a number of bills that would revise Measure 37, which voters strongly approved in November. (more...)
Court hears housing dispute between San Francisco, historic hotel
By Erica Werner
The Associated Press | March 28, 2005 |
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Supreme Court debated a long-running dispute between the city of San Francisco and the historic San Remo Hotel on Monday, but justices questioned whether there should be federal involvement in the property rights struggle between a local government and a business owner. (more...)